2013-14 Division II Menís Basketball Player of the Week Ė No. 1

Mitchell, the leading scorer in Division II, averages more than 37 points in four games last week

January 07, 2014

By Chad Waller, Director of Communications and Sports Information

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Joe Mitchell of Friends (Kan.) has been named the NAIA National Division II Men’s Basketball Player of the Week, the national office announced Tuesday. Mitchell is the first honoree of the 2013-14 season and was selected based on his performances from Dec. 30 – Jan. 5. He was chosen out of a pool of conference and independent award winners.

Mitchell, a senior guard from Wichita, Kan., led Friends to a 4-0 week with all of the victories coming on the road. The signature win was against No. 20 York (Neb.), 100-92, in the Kansas Wesleyan Classic on Jan. 4. Scoring has been the norm for Mitchell as he has tossed in at least 20 points in all 15 games played. He finished with a season-best 42 points in the 87-82 triumph over Doane (Neb.) on Jan. 3. For the week, he posted averages of 37.5 points, 6.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds. He went 49-of-74 (.662) from the field and connected on 60 percent of his 3-point attempts (12-of-20). With the four wins last week, the Falcons stand with a 13-game streak heading into their contest against Kansas Wesleyan on Thursday.

In national statistics, Mitchell ranks first in the NAIA in scoring (32.6 ppg), 16th in field goal percentage (.604) and 16th in steals per game (2.3).

For a complete list of all the national statistical leaders, click here.

The next NAIA National Division II Men’s Basketball Player of the Week will be announced on Jan. 14. For the complete Player of the Week calendar, click here.